9 Early Pregnancy Symptoms You Might Mistake for Something Else

Everyone was pretty shocked after hearing that Halle Berry is pregnant with her second child at the age of 46 -- but it sounds like no one was quite as surprised as her.

She was so stunned, in fact, that Halle thought she had kidney stones when she went to the doctor to see what was going on. And even though I've never had a kidney stone, I can totally relate to what Halle went through. Like her, I was pretty dumbfounded when I found out that the abdominal pain I was experiencing was due to the fact that I was pregnant.

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It was roughly a week after I conceived, and I had the strangest pain in my lower mid-section. It felt like really awful cramps, which I attributed to food poisoning or a bad case of indigestion. Looking back, however, odds are good that I was experiencing implantation pain, which could be what Halle's "kidney stone" discomfort was as well. (Or maybe it was something else. I'm no medical expert.)

It's funny how early signs and symptoms of pregnancy seem to mimic other ailments, so it's easy to see where women assume they are sick -- not pregnant.

In addition to pain you think might be from kidney stones or food poisoning and/or indigestion, here are seven more pregnancy symptoms that can easily be mistaken for something else.

Mood swings -- Your hormones go wild after conception, so it's very easy to attribute irritability and mood swings to PMS while awaiting Aunt Flow's arrival. (Of course, when she doesn't show up, you'll know you were wrong.)

Dizziness -- I know this sounds extreme, but a friend of mine's husband was convinced she had a brain tumor when she started having sudden dizzy spells. Turns out it was a daughter, not a tumor.

Missed period -- I have a friend in her late 40s who didn't get her period, and figured she was going through menopause. Needless to say, she wasn't.

Morning sickness -- This one is a huge source of confusion, because it works both ways. How many times have you puked and had someone ask if you're preggo? And how many times has it turned out to be the stomach bug instead?

Fatigue -- Feeling miserable. Listlessness. And not having the energy to get out of bed. Yep, you probably just have the flu. Or not.

Stuffiness and headaches -- An aching head and/or congestion is sometimes sign of pregnancy, so this is another one that can fool ya. Especially if the symptoms hit in winter.

Bloating -- You know how you feel like your belly is expanding and twisting and you assume you have really bad gas? You might be feeling your uterus stretching.

Did you think you had some other ailment when in reality you were pregnant?